5 Places to give your finances a spring clean

Snowmelt. The flowers are in bloom. Spring is here and for many that means rid their homes of cobwebs and clutter that has accumulated during the winter.

Spring also a good time to give your finances a good cleaning. Many may be changed in your life over the past year, and some seasonal editing work is a good way to stay on top of your finances and possibly save some money in the process. It's time to get to work.

Bank
If you moved around a lot, you may end up with accounts opened at a few different banks, and a bunch of monthly statements and other correspondence in result. Simplify and rationalize by consolidating your accounts in a single financial institution. Not happy with your current bank? Now might be a good time to go.

Once you have your accounts in order, check with your bank to see if you qualify for better interest rates or lower fees.

Also, move your online banking life to save space. Many banks offer monthly statements online and give you access to old checks and monthly statements by computer as well. Pay all your bills electronically is another good way to get rid of excess paper.

Credit cards and debt
have not checked your credit score in time? According to a 2013 study by the Federal Trade Commission, 5% of people have errors on their credit report at one of the three major reporting errors-organisms that could be detrimental to their score and forcing to pay more for loans and insurance.

Even a change of 50 points in your score can make a huge difference when shopping for loans.

Even a change of 50 points in your score can make a huge difference when shopping for loans and inaccuracies in your credit report can drag your score down as much. Pull your reports from all three major credit bureaus, you can do to AnnualCreditReport.com, review and ask that errors are corrected.

Then take a look at the interest you pay on your credit card balances and compare it with other credit cards. Credit card companies are often willing to lower your rates if you are a long time customer with a history of making payments on time. It does not hurt you to ask.

retirement accounts and investments
Many people have at least one retirement account from a former employer sitting around collecting dust. Instead of dealing with multiple 401 (k) accounts, roll in a streamline your retirement savings.

Watch your 401 (k) beneficiaries. If you have not updated this information in a while, you could still be a list of your parents as beneficiaries of a 401 (k) you got your first job. If you are married and / or have children, you'll probably want to change that. The same with divorce. You probably do not want your ex listed as the beneficiary.

Consider increasing your 401 (k) contributions. At a minimum, you should be set aside enough to gain full match your business.

life insurance
Many people think life insurance as a 'set and forget' product. They pay the premium, but if not, do not pay attention the coverage they chose when they got political. and it can be very good if you do not have life changing events your insurance needs. But take another look if you :.

• married or divorced, which means you need to update your beneficiaries and check to see if your coverage is correct
• do more than when you bought the policy, which affects the amount your family needs for income replacement.
• had more children, increasing the amount necessary cover child care, college and other expenses .
• have a new mortgage, which changes the amount and duration of the life insurance policy you need.

one in four Americans say they need more life insurance, but only one in 10 say they are likely to buy a policy next year, according to 2014 insurance Barometer Study by Life Happens and LIMRA. If this is your year to take the plunge for life insurance, life happens' life insurance needs Calculator can help you assess your insurance needs.

Give these five areas of a good spring clean and head into the summer with your finances neat as a pin.